


The Proposal

by Over__watch



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:48:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29695263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Over__watch/pseuds/Over__watch
Summary: Holding such a long and exhausting mission would have been difficult for anyone. With Malfoy, it would have been at least five times more complicated. However, she could not imagine that the situation would degenerate so much. In the worst-case scenario, she thought she was failing the mission, not catching the traffickers, being hurt, or worse. But she would never have imagined a catastrophe of such magnitude.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I'm an Italian author who's trying to translate her stories and post in other languages to prove herself. I know these stories are certainly not grammatically perfect, and I'm looking for a beta reader to help me. If anyone is interested, please comment here and let me know, I'd be really glad. Thank u! Love u all!

She knew it was a bad idea, that mission. She knew she shouldn't have gone along with Harry and Malfoy because, on time, the blond irritated her so much that her hands itched with the urge to smash him.

Although, she had to admit, he was excellent at his job, he had remained the same sarcastic bastard he always had, stinging, irritating.  
She had learned to appreciate him when he was silent, in exclusively working contexts, but tolerating him as soon as he opened his mouth became difficult.

They were on a mission, which would prove to be one of the longest and most exhausting of their careers. They were trying to spot a traffic of Dark Artifacts, which they had followed from London to Glasgow. They had managed to identify two or three couriers who, using little frequented places even in the Muggle world, transported packages containing cursed necklaces, dark amulets, bewitched books, precious stones and rings that if worn would have cursed the bearer.

Although Voldemort was dead for five years now, and the vast majority of the Death Eaters were imprisoned, they certainly hadn't arrested everyone else, mainly Purebloods, who were not involved but still cultivated their closed minds and were also passionate about dark magic.  
Collecting those artifacts was illegal, but the trafficking had been going on for so long, that if they caught a trafficker, you could be sure that someone would be back on the market the next week. And as miraculous as their persecutions were, they could never find anything.  
Hermione couldn't deny it. In the course of her Auror training she had to study the basic principles and some of the most dangerous spells of Dark Magic, and although she found it interesting, she could hardly believe that anyone could decide to keep a collection of their own accord of Dark objects in the house.  
They had already dismantled Borgin & Burkes, thanks to the collaboration of Malfoy, who had delivered the whole collection of his father's artifacts to them, and with those they had been able to frame the shop that had been managing illicit trafficking for some time.  
Given their success, Harry's Auror corps soon formed a separate team, practically dealing only with the black market of Illegal Artifacts and Dark Magic.  
Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein and Blaise Zabini.  
The day they got the tip of Trevor's first sighting from Abeforth Dumbledore, there were only Draco and Hermione in the office, each bent stubbornly over their desk, working without speaking.  
They had immediately taken the case, and in a few months they had managed to outline a pattern and a profile of Trevor's action. But something was wrong. Trevor disappeared from England itself for weeks, none of their hooks could find him, and the tracking spells gave no results.  
In the meantime, they had managed to get their hands on two of the Artifacts he had sold, blocking two buyers just out of the exchange room and Obliviating them, so as not to alarm Trevor.  
Once studied, the whole team was alarmed.  
Those weren't English Artifacts.  
Searching the annals of the history of magic they had managed to trace some of the enchanted gems and jewels, which were now well protected in cases where their magic could not take effect, locked up in the Office of Mysteries, to powerful American wizards.  
The first step seemed obvious, contacting MACUSA, and handing the case over to them, but Harry had been dubious. If the American Aurors had let slip that a trafficker was relaying between America and the UK for months, there was definitely a flaw in their system, at least, a mole.  
Harry had decided to keep it to them, and assuming the problem was more serious than it seemed, he immediately got to work.

A little more than a month had passed since that discovery, and often, the team infiltrated disreputable places, under transformed features. Michael, Anthony and Zabini spent whole evenings gulping down beers in Notturn Alley and posing as drunkards or crooks, while Malfoy, Harry and Hermione spent whole days going through the lists of wizards of the American wizarding community, trying to trace them back to Trevor Lance, to understand who could be his customers.

The turning point came when a group of Scottish magicians contacted the Ministry. On the outskirts of Glasgow, a powerful spell nearly destroyed a house in a centre full of Muggles.  
A team of Obliviators was already in place, but they had spotted something interesting.  
Draco and Hermione had flung themselves there with a Portkey, and soon the reason for the call was clear. In the centre of the ruins of the imposing three-story villa, there was, intact, a large necklace of pearls. He had probably sold that necklace to a wizard who had left it unattended, and it had exploded.  
Trevor had been wrong, he had left a trail, and most of all, they had spotted him, he was in Scotland.

Draco and Hermione had called Harry right away, and a few days later they were in Glasgow, in a small but functional apartment. The rest of the team hadn't followed them, they were also serving in London, tracking down any other Trevor messengers, and Draco and Hermione, though they couldn't stand each other, were excellent at their jobs. Their shadowing, however, was useless. They had been at a standstill for more than a week, and the resentment and frustration grew more and more.

Hermione knew that holding up such a long and exhausting mission was difficult for five. With Malfoy, it would have been at least five times harder. However, she could not imagine that the situation would degenerate so much. In the worst scenario, she thought she was failing the mission, not catching the traffickers, being hurt, or worse. But she would never have imagined a catastrophe of this magnitude. Because for her, having wild sex with Malfoy was exactly the definition of catastrophe.

She couldn't quite explain how it started.

That evening, Harry, who was commuting between London and Glasgow, had to return to London, activating a special Portkey to take charge of a new case.  
After being advised not to kill each other, he vanished, promising to return soon.  
Hermione and Malfoy were hunched over the table, studying and re-examining suspect files, re-reading reports, examining new strategies, but the squabble soon began.  
«If only we had been stationed where I told you, maybe we would have accomplished something! »  
«Your track didn't hold up, Ferrett, it was just your intuition, and if we want to rely on logic ...»  
«Look at your fucking logic and where it has led us, we don't know when the next exchange will be, where and how! If only we hadn't lost Trevor because you wanted to play logic ... »  
«Look Malfoy, shut the fuck up! I know very well that it would have been better to act your way but we cannot rely on the sensations and ... »  
«It's not about feeling, it's about understanding how your enemies think! Didn't they teach that to you in the Auror course too, or can't you understand it because it's not something you can write on those fucking notes you love to take? »  
«Don't you dare question my abilities, you idiot! »  
«Don't you dare question mine, evil witch! »  
Hermione had pulled out her wand, throwing a Gambemolli hex at him that she had narrowly dodged, and which had hit the vase behind them, which exploded into a thousand pieces.  
«Are you ... crazy? » He shouted altered, calling for a vase to throw it at her.  
«You are crazy, you stupid idiot! »  
From there, the concatenation of events had taken a strange turn. After demolishing the entire room, they found themselves standing, panting, a few inches from each other.

Looking back, she couldn't say who started it. She only knew that she had found herself, slammed against the wall, enthusiastically returning Malfoy's kisses. It had been a continuous biting, sucking, licking each other's lips, with an almost painful frenzy, until Malfoy had buried his face in her neck, leaving hot bites and kisses there too.  
She remembered starting to undress him. She had ripped off the sweatshirt he was still wearing, harpooned him by his muscular shoulders and had jumped into his arms, clutching her legs to his hips, almost making him lose his balance.

In the apartment they occupied there was only one bedroom, where they had placed three single and uncomfortable cots, where they spent the few hours of sleep that they allowed themselves between investigations.  
With a flick of his wand, Malfoy had Transfigured them into a larger bed and dropped onto them, dragging her onto him. He had freed her from her clothes frantically, enjoying the sight of the Mudblood's thin and soft body, and pulling back those seductive black panties, he had plunged into her with two fingers, finding her so hot and wet that he had had to grit his teeth not to take her immediately. 

He made her moan, tearing her little screams, penetrating her with his fingers, nibbling her nipples, and only when the girl came for the first time, he pulled down his pants just enough, lined up at her entrance, and had lowered on him.

Hermione would never forget the feeling of fullness and pleasure she felt. She clung to his shoulders, covered in a thin layer of sweat, and began to rotate her hips, move and move again, resulting in a wild ride that had kept them busy for several hours that night.

Draco had made her lie under him, covering her with his body, blocking her wrists with one hand while the other frantically stroked her clitoris, until she caused another orgasm.

Her screams of pleasure had forced him to soundproof the room, when he tied the girl's slender legs around his neck and pushed into her, even deeper, into her soft, hungry flesh, which welcomed him, squeezed him, contracting the muscles, returning it with a naturalness that he had never encountered in any.

Several orgasms later, Hermione had slumped over him again, exhausted, prying on his chest as she continued to rock fast on his erection, until he too exploded, pouring into her with a hoarse moan.  
She had given him just enough time to catch his breath, before giving him a small smile, sliding her body over his, and bringing her face to his groin, where she started to lick gently, stroking him until he was still hard again. She started to suck almost greedily, accompanying the movements of her mouth with her hand, until the boy had put his hands in her hair, and let himself go into her mouth.

She remembered perfectly the post-sex. Time to catch their breath and they'd cleaned up, getting dressed in case Harry came back.  
Once fully dressed, Hermione had turned to him.  
«This remains between us Malfoy. There will not be other similar episodes. »  
Malfoy had grinned and pushed her back to the wall. He had kissed her again, tormenting her breast with his hand, for a few more minutes. Hermione hadn't been able to resist, intimacy still throbbing, and when he pulled away he smiled smugly.  
«There will be Granger. » He whispered mischievously, licking her lower lip one last time.  
She was just deciding whether to throw him back on the bed and do justice to the throbbing she felt in his lower abdomen or respond to him in rhyme when a dematerialization and a chilled scream had surprised them.

They'd spent the rest of the evening convincing Harry that they both got out of hand in letting off steam.  
And they had vented, definitely.


	2. Chapter 2

The wild sex had charged her like dynamite, and the next day, a stroke of genius had led them to locate Trevor Lance, in a seedy pub drinking Fire Whiskey. Hermione sat in front of him with a smile and a mug of Butterbeer, and a whispered Confundus was enough to lure him out of the club, into a secluded alley.  
She was almost disappointed, the great trafficker looked just over a twenty-year-old, with long hair tied in a ponytail, without a trace of a beard, and with large blue eyes absolutely harmless.  
Draco entered his head with a good Legilimency spell, they hadn't used Veritaserum to leave no traces of the potion in his body, and what he had discovered had put them on even more alert.  
Trevor was nothing more than the equivalent of a drug courier, but he had revealed to them the big fish to catch.

John Harrinson was the sender of all the artifacts Trevor transported to England.  
Draco hadn't been able to understand much about him. Trevor's memories had shown him that the boy had never come into contact with him personally, but he had heard of him from his subordinates, who entrusted him with the goods to be transported.  
A search at the ministry, and they learned that Harrinson was American, resided in New York.  
Learning that the chances of closing that story quickly vanished like snow in the sun, the team had to prepare for a much longer and more complex admission. Harry's idea was to keep keeping MACUSA out of this, there was almost certainly a mole in the system, and once he knew, he would immediately stop traffic, or hinder the investigation.  
The Child Who Lived-But-Maybe-Not-For-Much then quietly told Hermione and Draco that they needed to go on an undercover mission, and the two of them seemed like the best candidates to do so. Malfoy, needless to say, would simply impersonate himself. With a Death Eater past, it wouldn't have been hard to make them believe he was playing a double game, or so they hoped. Hermione, on the other hand, certainly could not introduce herself as Heroine of the Wizarding World and known Auror. She would be in New York as a fictional Thoroughbred, Malfoy's companion.  
Needless to say, the Gryffindor didn't seem very enthusiastic about it. After threatening to Smash both of them (the blond seemed to have taken the news stoically), she slammed the door behind her telling Harry to find someone else, and took refuge in the Training room, where in the training uniform, blue jumpsuit and shirt white, she was venting her anger against a mannequin, with magic blows and otherwise . Between kicks, she started talking to herself.  
«I have to go undercover and pretend I'm Malfoy's Thoroughbred slut? No- kick – way!- punch. » He gave the mannequin another kick, which squeaked dangerously.  
She loved England, she loved her job there, she loved her friends. But Harry's reasoning was fine. Neither she nor Malfoy had any love affairs that tied them to London, like the one Harry had with Ginny, in addition to his job responsibilities. It was a difficult job, unknown for the most part, no one knew what they would find, and Hermione, damn he , was the best.  
She barely caught the giggles of Michael and Anthony, who were dueling a little further on. «What are you two laughing about, huh?" You go with Malfoy to America, heads of ... »  
«Granger, you're not very pretty. » The bastard in question came from behind her and she just had time to turn around when he grabbed her behind her knees and pulled her to the ground, pinning her arms and legs in a grip.  
Michael nudged Anthony. «Two galleons that Malfoy knocks down. »  
That looked at him dazed. «I don't know… Granger has a lot of energy. »  
Hermione kicked out of it and quickly got to her feet, facing him. The boy was also in overalls, and with a gesture she saw him pull out his wand. Before she could parry it, he disarmed her, and threw both wands aside.  
«If I let you vent, will you stop whining and do your duty? » He slyly said.  
«How dare you lousy bas ...» Without speaking, she threw herself at him with a right hook that failed to parry but that only made him stagger slightly as he tripped her, so Hermione didn't fall for a short while.  
«Stop it Granger, you're an Auror, not a baby. Do you think I like going on a mission with you? Potter would be better, and that's saying it all. » He kept teasing her with a grin on his face.  
«You are the most hateful being on the face of the Earth, there is no way that I dress up as a Pureblood and come pretend to be your mate! » She shouted, giving him a right that hit the mark. The blond fell to the ground on his back, gasping.  
Anthony, satisfied, clapped Michael on the shoulder. «Pay. »  
He began to rummage in his pockets with a frown.  
Hermione happily brushed her hair back from her forehead as she stood looking at the blonde before resignation caught her. She knew, rationally, that she was the only one on her team who could fill that role, Cho was not in the least prepared to sustain such a long mission, and above all, she seemed to be almost afraid of Malfoy.  
She let out a bad word before surrendering to the evidence. She stood looking at the blond, still lying on the ground.  
«Forget that I'm posing as a vain and foolish Pureblood. » She said then. «And forget that, in the house where we will go, I will do everything myself. »  
«And you forget you can tell me what to do. » And with these words, he tripped her again from the ground, making her fall.  
Anthony, who had just reached out to pocket the Galleons, closed his fingers on the void as Michael pocketed them greedily.  
Hermione took a deep breath, aching from the blow.  
«I'll kill you, Malfoy. »

It took a week to organize everything. Malfoy would have travelled to America with the aim of taking over a prestigious Potions emporium, while Hermione had assumed the identity of Beatris Nott, his partner. Her profile was perfect: rich, Pureblood, distant cousin of Theodore Nott, always a friend of Malfoy's. It was very plausible that the two were dating.  
Her disguise was flawless. Thanks to various spells, the brown curls had been replaced by long and silky honey-blond hair, the golden eyes had become brown and also the features of the face had changed, the nose thinner and upward, the curve of the eyebrows more delineated, and lips plumper and rosier.  
She had had to fill the suitcase with elegant suits, bought in the best boutique in London, in the perfect style of the Pureblood, who in the wizarding world were the equivalent of the bourgeois, and even at that moment, the feet shod in stiletto heels, and the full skirt and blouse she was wearing, which hindered her movements, cursed the moment of madness in which she had accepted that mission.

Hermione was on a luxurious plane, her legs comfortably lying on the reclined seat, headphones in her ears plugged into the small monitor nestled in the seat.  
Malfoy, at her side, looked asleep. As soon as they got on board, he suspiciously put on his headphones, as if they could bite off his ears, and clumsily touched the screen until he opened a random movie, which he looked dazed. After half an hour he had taken off his headphones badly, and had been silent ever since, his eyes closed, his head tilted to one side.  
When a child sitting somewhere behind them had burst into tears, he had turned around with the most annoyed expression she had ever seen, and Hermione had just managed to put a hand on his chest and stop him before he made a scene.  
She had pushed him back to the seat, hissing him to stay still, while he burned her with his eyes.  
They had scowled at each other for a couple of seconds before her hand resting on his chest gave her an erotic flashback from a few weeks ago. She portrayed the hand as burnt, blushing suddenly, and the boy must have guessed the direction her thoughts had taken, because he grinned satisfied. Hermione slapped him on the chest, annoyed.  
«Stop it, you idiot. »  
«I have not done anything. »  
«No, you understood that . »  
«You're the one who blushed like an ember. »  
«Godric, I really hate you. »  
«Perfectly reciprocated. Now sleep, don't bother me with your useless words. »  
Hermione just rolled her eyes, and refraining from strangling him, turned to the window. The regular roll of the plane and the clouds passing in front of her eyes soon made her feel very drowsy. Without realizing it, her head lolled on her shoulder as she fell asleep.

A jolt made her wake up, and she realized that she was leaning against something much firmer than the seat. She slowly moved her head and realized she was leaning on Malfoy's shoulder. She sat up in confusion, to look to her right and find Malfoy intent on giggling with a stewardess.  
She rubbed her eyes in confusion.  
«Ah, the lady woke up. May I bring you something to drink? Champagne? Juice? Lemonade? » said the smiling girl.  
Hermione looked at her puzzled, lingering over her manicured hands, one of which rested on Draco's shoulder.  
«Water, thank you. » She murmured then.  
The girl smiled at Draco before moving, and Hermione glared at Draco.  
«Even on the plane? Really Malfoy? My God what a squalor. »  
«Jealous Granger? » He winked.  
«You dream of Malfoy. But we must play a part, so hold back your instincts. » She snarled, at the height of irritation.  
«You should be calmer. After all, I let you sleep on my shoulder for three hours. »  
«Next time you can let me sleep on the floor when you want, so I don't owe you anything. » She hissed, her eyes now reduced to two slits.  
Malfoy's sarcastic response was stopped by the providential arrival of the stewardess. Hermione took the goblet of water that was brought to her, then, when the girl stood there a few more seconds, she spoke to her.  
«We don't need anything else, thanks. » She blushed suddenly, and after an indecisive glance at Malfoy, who was grinning, she went away.  
They arrived in New York after more than eleven hours of travel, exhausted and settled in a villa in a luxury residential complex. From the moment they landed at the New York airport, Hermione sighed loudly, abandoning her identity.


	3. Chapter 3

The landed in New York at the crack of dawn, Malfoy flatly refused to take the cab, opting to activate an illegal Portkey that Hermione protested strongly, but before she could yell at him, he badly grabbed her hand to rest it on the old newspaper he had activated, and they whirled together towards the house. Hermione didn't know exactly what kind of apartment they would be sharing, but she hoped it was big enough for her not to meet Malfoy at any rate. Godric, she would also have slept on the sofa so as not to share the living space with him. When they arrived however, Hermione was speechless. This was not a simple apartment in a residential centre, it was a luxury house. The garden was spacious, a large rectangular swimming pool stood in the canter, surrounded by deck chairs and umbrellas.  
The house was modern in style, light walls on the outside and large windows, spread over two floors. The weather was thankfully warm, so she sighed, thinking that at least he would have the distraction of the pool, in moments of leisure, not to see Malfoy.  
She staggered on her stiletto heels as, nose in the air, she entered.  
«Malfoy… who pays for this huge house? » She whispered. «The Ministry would never have ...»  
«I'll pay for it Granger, we needed a house that matched our position here. And now if you will excuse me… » Malfoy unloaded all the bags in front of the door without a word. «I need a shower to get the stench of that hellish Muggle thing off me. »  
«Won't you leave me here to fix everything? I need a shower too! » She muttered.  
«There are at least three bathrooms in this house, don't bother me. » He yelled, already upstairs.  
Hermione, steaming with rage, screamed like a banshee. «But who do you think you're, idiot? Let's fix everything first, and then you'll be free to go wherever you want. And don't turn your back on me when I speak! »  
«Stop whining! »He yelled at her, as the water began to pour down somewhere in the house.  
Hermione gritted her teeth, kicking off her shoes, and untied the transfiguration that changed her connotations, and then headed furiously upstairs. She took just a moment to admire the impressive staircase in light wood and glass, then headed for the only door through which the light filtered.  
Not that Malfoy had really done anything serious, but she already had her headaches. She loved the UK and having to leave without knowing when she would be back put her in a decidedly bad mood.  
She repeatedly knocked on the bathroom door, practically punching it, until a pissed off, dripping and totally naked Malfoy opened the door, dragging her inside without saying a word. Barely touching the wand he made her clothes vanish and pushed her under the boiling water.  
He silenced Hermione's initial screams of protest with kisses, and the eager hands that caressed her body made her give in after a while. When the girl was completely relaxed, and responsive to his kisses, Malfoy took a bit of bubble bath in his hands and began to pass it on her body, lingering on points that made her moan without restraint.  
As the boy rhythmically dug his fingers into her, somewhere she found the clarity to speak.  
«I told you it wasn't going to happen again. » She moaned, moving her pelvis against his hand in spite of everything.  
«Shut that big mouth Granger, is it possible that the only way to shut you up is to fuck you? » He said in a hoarse voice.  
«You say that as if you were sorry. » Hermione said.  
«You certainly don't mind. The whole city will hear us if you continue ... »  
Hermione, indignant, started to slap him, but the boy grabbed her wrist before she could hit him, and started licking her open fingertips, then guiding her down his abdomen and then further down, where his arousal was more than obvious, the penis rising hard against the girl's thighs.  
They remained touching each other until they reached mutual orgasm, Hermione's hand moving rhythmically on him, alternating very fast movements with others slow beyond belief, and Draco's fingers running through her without difficulty, alternating with the thumb that stimulated. quickly her clitoris, bringing her to ecstasy and stopping just a moment before making her cum.  
Again, the boy was surprised at how sensitive and receptive Granger's body was to him, and even more than his reciprocated. Even after orgasm, he only needed a few touches of the girl to return hard and aroused. He made her turn, lean her breasts against the wall heated by the water and penetrated her, adhering his chest to her back.  
Hermione moaned leaning her head back on his shoulder, exposing the free neck, which Malfoy immediately began to kiss and bite, and there was no room for anything else, for both, heedless of the water running over them, to minutes and whole minutes.  
Hermione brought her hand to one of Malfoy's, and moved it from her waist, where she held it harpooned, to her intimacy.  
«Feel how wet you are. » The boy whispered in her ear, before increasing the rhythm of the thrusts, stimulating her clitoris at the same time. It didn't take long for the girl to explode into another orgasm, a high-pitched moan of pleasure on her lips. The boy couldn't suppress a moan as he was being squeezed by the girl's internal muscles, and he managed to resist a few more thrusts before breaking free in her.  
When they caught their breath and went out, the water began to come out colder. Silently, she grabbed one of the fluffy towels from a pretty wicker basket and threw one at Malfoy, who covered himself as little as necessary.  
She was rubbing her hair when the boy surrounded her.  
«We just finished. » She said, trying to keep a detached tone, but failing miserably when his erection pressed her back.  
«That's not what I'm here for. Not only that at least. »  
«For what then? »  
«A Proposal. »  
Hermione raised an eyebrow, waiting.  
«This is a good way to release the tension. It keeps us from tearing ourselves apart, and only Salazar knows how long we'll have to stay here. I propose this to you. Just sex, no feelings in between. It will be good for both me and you. » He said, caressing her buttocks eagerly, inserting his hand into the gap between them to touch her intimacy, smiling to find her wet again.  
Hermione gave a half grin, evaluating. She saw no flaw in his plan. He was able to please her like never, and sex seemed to be a good deterrent to slaughtering each other. The only problem could be falling in love with him, which would never happen in a thousand years. Then she looked at him through the mirror, while he was still behind her, busy stroking her lasciviously.  
«Done, Malfoy. » And the boy just grinned, before making her bend her back and lean on the sink, and enter her again.

After another session of intense sex, Hermione finally broke away from that tempting body, and devoted herself to exploring the house. There were three bedrooms, and she chose the one that had the most exposure to the windows for her, to enjoy most of the light. Three bathrooms, each huge, one of which has a huge whirlpool tub set on the wall, large enough to accommodate two people, which made her flare up, hoping that it would soon be inaugurated. It was now late in the morning, and when he went down to the kitchen - living room she saw that the whole room was well irradiated, the light was pouring in.  
The kitchen was huge, of pale wood, with an island of wood and marble in the centre.  
She was getting a little hungry, so with a stroke of her wand she lit the kettle she found on the counter, and rummaged in the pantry, finding only a few tea bags and a pack of cereals.  
Damn, she also had to do the shopping. She snorted.  
She ate something quickly, leaving some boiling water for tea for Malfoy, who might as well be starving as far as she was concerned, and moved back upstairs to get some sleep. She was too sleepy, and the illicit activities in the shower had drained her of all energy, she had to sleep.  
She met Malfoy in the hallway who was levitating his bags and looked at her mockingly.  
«Two separate rooms? Tell me Granger, who do you want me to believe we're together if we have two separate rooms? »  
«I don't think anyone in the house is spying on us. » She said stiffly. «So I have no reason, much less desire, to share a room with you. »  
«Yet you share much more. »  
Hermione snorted. «I’m not sleeping with you Malfoy. Get it right in your head. »  
«It's unreasonable, until recently I had my fingers in your ...»  
«Shut up! » She yelled. «I'm staying in my room, you in yours. End of discussion. » And went into the room, slamming the door, hearing him chuckle.  
Sleep soon took over, and repressing the annoyance for the blond, he simply let himself go into Morpheus's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

They had started with the best conditions, but perhaps Hermione hadn't realized how difficult it was to live with the blonde. Ever since he had been sceptical of the microwave the first day, she had begun to understand that it was going to be pretty complicated. I mean, she knew he had House Elves at the Manor, but she didn't know he expected tea to be made too. A couple of ladles on the head, however, soon brought him back to the awareness of having to fend for himself.  
Hermione, more for self-preservation than anything else, had taken care of the lunch and dinner. She didn't know how well Malfoy was at cooking, but she didn't suspect much, so in order not to risk dying from poisoning, she took care of food. The boy, under threat, then took care of clearing the table, and even though he used magic for practically everything, the combination they found was quite efficient.  
Barely two days had passed when they decided to take the first step. They had updated the headquarters with an untraceable message and closed the bridges with London.  
It was early in the morning when Malfoy slammed into her room.  
«Isn't he knocked by chance? » Hermione jumped, bringing the sheet to cover her chest.  
«Nothing that I haven’t seen before. » He replied without the slightest shame.  
Hermione took air, suppressing the urge to yell at him, and threw herself into more practical matters.  
«What do you want Malfoy? »  
«To tell you I've found a way to enter the American Pureblood circle, that's fine. »  
«I won't compliment you until I make sure you didn't do shit. » She scowled.  
«I contacted Daphne Greengrass. We are invited to her house this afternoon. »  
«Daphne Greengrass, your former housemate? Are you crazy? »  
«Why never? »  
«Daphne knows perfectly well that there is no Beatris Nott, Malfoy! »  
«No she doesn't. The Nott family is practically immense, Theodore's grandfather had something like ten children, most of whom no longer live in England but are scattered between the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain. »  
«But it's… risky. »  
«Look Granger, Daphne isn't stupid. Even if she’ll be suspicious she would never betray me, she knows who I am loyal to and why, and she knows that I never do anything by accident. I trust her more than anyone else. »  
«Those weren't the plans. »  
«The plans were and are to get to Harrinson as soon as possible and figure out what he has in mind and how to stop him. » He hissed. «Daphne has a prominent position, she is the wife of the director of the New York Specter, she has contacts with all the important people. Harrinson is a Pureblood, from an ancient family. I can bet he either works at the Ministry or has several connections there. Does it cost you so much to shut your mouth once and for all? We have to start somewhere Granger, and this is the solution! »  
Hermione bit her lip with a sigh. Was Malfoy right? Actually, for the moment, she saw no other ways. They didn't know anyone, and they couldn't turn to the Aurors. They had a list of the names of American wealthy families, but they couldn't knock from door to door to be welcomed.  
They had to try and hope that everything went well.  
«And please Granger, this afternoon… dress properly. » He said as he left the room, just before a pillow crashed into the door.

After having a quick lunch, and leaving Malfoy, again under threat, with the burden of taking care of the dishes, Hermione devoted herself to a hot bath. She absolutely needed to relax, she was as taut as a violin string. It wasn't the possibility of being discovered or hurt that scared her, but the possibility of screwing up the whole mission.  
Harrinson absolutely had to be stopped. She plunged into the whirlpool tub and stayed at least half an hour getting hit by the jets of water, staring at herself in the mirror right in front of the tub, aware that the tension could be read in her eyes. Reluctantly she went out, wrapped in her soft terry bathrobe, and stared at all the clothes she had had to drag along.  
She wasn't sloppy or scruffy, she didn't like walking around in overalls, but she always opted for comfortable clothes, jeans, blouses. Instead, now she had to dress in elegant and designer silk and satin garments. It made her feel extremely uncomfortable, nevertheless she slip into expensive-looking high-waisted trousers, a pair of stiletto heels that already hurt her feet, and a blush pink blouse with a modest neckline. She transfigured her hair and took on the features of Beatris, looking at herself in the mirror. Already she couldn't stand all that farce anymore.  
Sewing the perfect Pureblood label on herself, after all she'd been through because of the Purebloods, including the man getting ready in the next room, seemed like a cruel twist of fate.  
You are doing it for a good cause. It is your job.  
She kept repeating it to herself like a mantra as she did her face and smoothed her hair. She took the bag, and left the room, making sure it wasn't too late.  
«Malfoy, are you ready? » She muttered without even looking into the corridor, going straight down the stairs, too focused not to fall.  
«Look where you go Granger. » He said, emerging from the kitchen, holding a cup of tea.  
He too was fully dressed, in black trousers and a white starched shirt. Undoubtedly a beautiful sight.  
«Don't call me Granger, rather start calling me Beatris, or no one will ever believe it and we'll betray each other in ten seconds flat. And above all try to behave like a human being, otherwise it will be clear that we are not together. » She snapped.  
«I know how a woman is treated, Beatris . » With his wand he sent the cup on the kitchen, and then left a caress on her buttocks. «And I seem to have proved it to you several times. »  
Hermione suppressed the shiver that had risen in her back at the memory of the passion two days ago, but she pushed his hand away.  
«Stop it and let's go. »  
They dematerialized into what appeared to be the lobby of a large building. Looking out, Hermione caught a glimpse of the busy street, dotted with the typical yellow cabs and the people who, frenetic, equipped with briefcases and phones, walked by without giving any importance to their surroundings. On the other side of the street, a large park. Hermione had never been to America, so she couldn't be sure, but it looked like Central Park to her, and it looked like an entirely Muggle building.  
«Do they live in the Muggle world? » She asked slightly surprised.  
«What did you expect? »  
«I don't know, maybe something like Malfoy Manor. » She reflected aloud.  
«Daphne's husband's family isn't that old, they don't have a Manor. But this place is the most luxurious you can find. The entrance to the wizarding world is right in the middle of Central Park. »  
Hermione nodded, mentally writing it down.  
Malfoy seemed perfectly at ease as she felt like she was walking on eggs. The dark parquet was perfectly polished, and a stiff-looking doorman immediately asked them if he could help them. After asking for Daphne, he was motioned to enter the elevator. If Hermione was perfectly calm about it, the same couldn't be said of Draco. He fidgeted uncomfortably as the sliding doors closed and Hermione couldn't help but restrain a chuckle.  
«Scared, Malfoy? » She grinned.  
He muttered something like "Damn Muggle things" as the girl reached out to press the button that would take them to the top floor, the penthouse.  
«Declare your identity. » A cold voice startled her, and she noticed that the loudspeaker at the top left had just turned into a female face of metal, which had asked them the question. He had to expect Daphne and her husband to have placed magical wards on their home.  
«Draco Malfoy and Beatris Nott. We visit Mrs Greengrass-Pirren. » The blond said quietly.  
A jolt and the elevator began to go up, much faster than a normal one could. When the doors opened, they found themselves directly in the living room.  
Hermione just had time to notice the sleek dark wood flooring, white furniture set in the large, lighted room and expensive-looking white plush rugs before the hostess sprinted in front of them.  
Daphne had retained all the beauty that made her one of the most courted at Hogwarts.  
Tall and thin, a cascade of light blond curls on her shoulders and large, penetrating green eyes. A faint patch of freckles on her nose and perfectly made-up face gave her an angelic expression.  
«Draco Malfoy. » She said in an almost moved tone.  
«Daphne Greengrass. » He replied with a warm smile.  
Hermione almost marveled at how happy the boy seemed to see her. He opened his arms and she threw herself into it as if find himself a brother or a lover after years and years.  
She stiffened. Had they really been lovers? If so, did that mean that Daphne would never betray him?  
She did not pause too much to think about it, however, but looked down, believing it was right to give two old friends, or whatever they were, a way and time to say goodbye.  
Only after a few seconds, Daphne turned to her.  
«So you found someone who can put up with you huh? » Hermione started to hold out her hand, but she hugged her.  
«Beatris right? Draco told me you were coming with him, and I have to tell you, you are wonderful. I guess this grumpy orc isn't easy to bear, but brace yourself, it's better than it looks. »  
Hermione cleared her throat, trying to suppress the laughter. «Pleasure Daphne. Draco told me about you. »  
The girl stared at her for a moment, as if something was missing, but immediately the confused face spread into a smile.  
«You… I seem to have heard yours before… But surely I'm wrong. »  
Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat. Daphne had certainly heard her voice before!  
Malfoy at her side stiffened like a stockfish, but Daphne had already turned away, and with her wand she was levitating a tray, with cups and teapot on it, and gesturing for them to sit down.  
They soon discovered that not only was Daphne extremely friendly, but also that, as Malfoy said, she knew everyone and knew everything about everyone.  
She told them about her life in New York, about how she had settled in, about Charles, her husband, about her job, about her sister. Then, when she took a moment of breath, she looked at them as if she had just remembered that they were indeed in front of them.  
«Oh, what a fool, I have showered you with nonsense. Now tell me, how did you guys meet? » She poured the tea for everyone with a flick of his wand, and stood looking at them.  
Hermione gasped slightly before remembering which version they had agreed to.  
«At a dinner at Theodore's. You know, I was visiting my cousin, you know I do a column in the Daily Prophet, and I was there for a meeting. I don't know why Theodore invited Draco, but we immediately liked each other. » She declared, smiling.  
Malfoy coughed, sinking his nose into the tea.  
«Yes, our blond here is a lot tough, but in the end he is a fantastic person. » He smiled. «And why here in New York? »  
«You really are a meddler. »Malfoy shakes his head. «To this I answer. My suppliers have informed me that the manager of Potion & Potions is with water in his throat. It's about to sell, and I might be interested. I had accumulated some vacation, so Beatris and I decided to take a vacation. » He concluded with a grin.  
«If I know you well, I can imagine how you will fare. » Daphne grinned with a wink at Hermione, who blushed suddenly.  
«Come on honey, don't be shy, if you're with Draco you definitely can't. »She laughed.  
«No, absolutely is that… well we just met. » She muttered.  
«We'll have time, trust me. You won't think about staying there doing nothing for the whole holiday. I have to introduce you to a lot of people Draco, I'm sure they can also help you with the purchase of the store. » She concluded enthusiastically.  
Hermione let out a smile, intimately acknowledging that Draco was right. Daphne was the right woman to introduce them to the circle.  
«And how are the others doing? Theo, Blaise, Pansy? »Said Daphne at one point. «I miss them all so much. »  
«Are all well. Theodore and Pansy are in love, Blaise is the usual. » Malfoy shrugged. «And Astoria? How's her treatment going? »  
Daphne's enthusiastic gaze faded. «We… do what we can. We came here for this and for the moment his curse seems under control. A mixture of Muggle medicine and medicine magic keeps her quiet, but we've been told clearly that symptoms can get worse at any moment. »  
Malfoy nodded, and then before Hermione really realized, he held out a hand to Daphne, squeezing it sympathetically.

As Daphne carried the floating tray back into the large kitchen, Malfoy slipped his arm around her waist and started to kiss her.  
Panting in surprise, she pulled away. «What the hell are you doing? »  
«Are you my partner or not? » He replied in kind. «Daphne knows very well how I deal with women. »  
«Like a lousy maniac? » She hissed  
«I think you like my being a lousy maniac. » He whispered in her ear, amused. Hermione blushed again, and before she could regret it she placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him, eyeing Daphne returning.  
If the boy was surprised he did not show it, he simply returned the kiss.  
«But how cute you are. Draco, will you have found the right one once in a lifetime? » The blonde intervened.  
«If you keep telling her how stupid I am, I doubt she'll still want me. » He said quietly.  
Daphne laughed. «I can't help myself, you see, you're a jerk. »  
Hermione let out a laugh, and Malfoy glared at her. «Don't encourage her. »  
«Oh, honey, I'm sure we'll be good friends. » Said Daphne instead.  
«I just heard from Patrick Germont, he invited Charles and me to dinner for Saturday night, and I told him about you. He would be happy to have you and meet you. »  
Draco didn't flinch. «Germont? »  
«Yes, his is a much less ancient family than Malfoy's, Patrick's grandfather moved to America, actually they come from France. He works for MACUSA's Magical Creatures control. »  
«Well, we'll see if ...»  
«Oh, don't be ridiculous Draco, for once one of my old friends comes to see me, you can't say no. »  
Hermione shook her head and smiled. «We'll be there Daphne, I can tell you that. »  
Malfoy grinned. Everything was going according to plan.


	5. Chapter 5

«The level of annoyance you cause me is comparable only to the Devil's Snare, DO YOU KNOW? » The girl yelled on the verge of exasperation, banging her head against the ceramic edge of the tub.  
«Me? You're the one who does nothing but chatter and give me orders, don't you dare Granger. »  
«When this mission ends, I swear to Merlin, I WILL KILL YOU MALFOY! »  
«But please, what are you supposed to do to me with your pure Gryffindor heart? »  
«I can be worse than you expect, and now leave me alone and let me take a bath! »  
«You're right… you are definitely less pure than I expected. » He said in a tone of voice that was suddenly milder.  
«What… what are you doing ?! » Hermione yelled as the lock on the door clicked and he grinned into the bathroom. He took a single step before looking around. «What the hell have you been up to Granger? »  
In fact, perhaps he had slightly exaggerated. Soap bubbles, suspended with the help of a little magic and steam, hovered throughout the room, making the environment almost mystical. Hermione had let herself go a bit, reproducing as much as possible the Hogwarts Prefect Bathroom, which had always so relaxed her.  
«Nothing about you, get out of my bathroom! » She yelled again.  
«I was thinking Granger, we haven't taken advantage of the Proposal for too long, don't you think? » He quickly undid his shirt, throwing it to the ground.  
«It’s four days, you may not be affected by mica satyriasis Malfoy? » She mocked him.  
«It's your fault, look at yourself, you're naked. » He said convinced as he lowered his trousers along with the boxers and took off there. Hermione couldn't help but drop her eye on his already soaring erection, with a hint of satisfaction at her provoking it, but she quickly regained her temper.  
«Of course I'm naked, you came in while I was taking a bath! Don't you dare, don't ... AHH! » The girl almost screamed as he stepped into the tub making the water splash in her face. She looked at him grimly, but the boy didn't give her the chance because he kissed her hard, surrounding her wet face with his hands. Hermione struggled slightly, until she got back on her knees and when she managed, she pushed the blonde into the water with all her strength, pushing him down. The boy emerged with his head soaked and full of foam and Hermione burst out laughing.  
«Cute Malfoy! » She exclaimed as the man shook his head.  
The boy looked at her just another second before grabbing her around the waist and kissing her again and this time Hermione gave up. The last few days with Daphne's meeting had been so tense she just needed to relax, and sex with Malfoy seemed to have far more effect than any bath. She put her arms around his neck kissing him passionately and she jumped when his back touched the cold edge of the tub.  
«What the ...» with a grin the boy hoisted her on the edge and spread her legs with a single gesture. Hermione drew back embarrassed, but he wouldn't let her, pressing two fingers on the intimacy and hearing her sigh in response. The girl relaxed her legs when Malfoy began to touch her, moving his fingers in a circle on her clit.  
The boy couldn't help himself. «Feel how wet you are Granger. »  
She shivered and groaned at the boy's effect on her, clutching her hands on the marble edge of the tub, but Malfoy's next move made her literally scream. The boy gave her a last kiss then traced a trail with his tongue from the neck to the abdomen, licking the nipples with his tongue, until he descended on the smooth and fragrant intimacy. With small touches of the tongue, he began to lick the clitoris and then lick the entire slit. He felt his erection throbbing more than ever, hard beyond belief. He could have come just listening to all the moans Granger let out, kissing her skin. That girl had a perfume that made him mad.  
Granger's legs tightened around his neck as rather loud moans made him realize how much he appreciated the treatment. With one hand he picked up a breast, small but perfect, and stimulated the nipple, titillating it slightly, while that hot body trembled in his hands.  
«M-Malfoy ...» she moaned breathlessly.  
The boy again and again stimulated, if no to take it to the limit, and just when the girl began to moan louder, the orgasm that was spreading in the body, he stopped.  
«No! » She moaned unsatisfied, but Draco didn't give her any more time to protest because he pulled her down into the water with him, and unable to resist penetrated her in one fell swoop.  
«I want to feel you come over me. » He whispered in her ear before biting her earlobe and starting to push.  
«Oh… Merlin… Merlin… Yes! » Hermione could not help herself, and she started to move too, following his movements, kissing him passionately.  
«Don't hold back… let me feel how much you like it. » He whispered out of breath.  
«Merlin ... I am coming.» She mumbled before bursting into a liberating scream as she shivered and let herself go, succumbing to orgasm.  
The boy accompanied his movements as he came, then his eye fell on the half-misted mirror on which Granger rested her arms.  
A grin on his face, he pulled her to him and spun her around, carrying her in his lap, and entering her again. The girl gasped for a moment to regain her balance, and he held her up as he resumed pushing.  
«Open your eyes Granger. Look at us. See how you enjoy. » He blew on her skin.  
Hermione turned scarlet but obeyed, narrowing her eyes. In front of her was their image, her wet curls resting on the Slytherin's shoulder, the blond head bent over his neck, and a hand harpooned to her breast. The foam hid the rest but the movements of both left no room for imagination, and when Draco raised his head and their eyes met in the mirror, seeing hers full of lust and desire Hermione felt beautiful. Beautiful and sensual as she had never felt, desired.  
«Let me come. »He whispered.  
«With great pleasure. » He grinned in response, and again, the thrusts became faster and more disconnected, dictated only by the primal instinct to reach the apex together. When she came again she contracted exhausted but didn't stop moving, and she didn't miss a second of the moment when the boy let himself go, sinking a groan into her shoulder and then throwing his head back and squinting his eyes in pleasure.  
With a sigh the boy came out of her, and both, still panting, stood in the tub, the girl leaning on him, between his legs. The boy almost unconsciously ran a lazy finger over her shoulders, tracing imaginative trails in the foam that covered her shoulders.  
Hermione didn't even think about how inconvenient that position and intimacy was, how little sexual there was, she just recovered from the overwhelming orgasm and breathed in, enjoying the relaxation that those caresses gave her.  
Minutes and minutes of complete silence passed, until Malfoy interrupted him.  
«You're worried about Saturday, aren't you? »  
Hermione tensed. «What makes you think so? »  
«You are crystal clear Granger. When Daphne mentioned it, you went to stone yesterday. »  
Hermione thought for a while before answering, his fingers brushing her shoulders lighter and lighter.  
«Maybe. I'll throw myself into a Pureblood melee. »  
«You're probably stronger than most of them. And I doubt they'll attack you in the middle of a dinner. They won't even know who you really are. »  
«I know, I know… that's not what worries me. »  
«So what? » Malfoy went down to kiss her shoulder almost unconsciously.  
«I'm a Mudblood Malfoy. And tomorrow night I'll have to step into the shoes of one of the many people in your world who wouldn't think twice about killing me. Who see people like me as scum like… » She stiffened further. «How you thought me scum. »  
Draco exhaled hard, as something very similar to guilt settled on his stomach, as the girl suddenly stood up, splashing the water violently.  
«Granger ...»  
«I dry myself and ... I leave you the tub. »  
«Granger wait a second. »  
«No. Our Proposal only said sex, and we had sex. I'm more than clean and fragrant, so there's no point in being two here. » Granger kept her eyes down and wrapped a large terry towel around her body.  
Draco sighed, trying to catch her eyes. «All right. » He then said simply.  
It seemed obvious that Granger didn't want to talk about it, but he felt a stronger pang of guilt when he noticed the girl's obviously thoughtful eyes. But he could not say anything, he stand there watching her pick up her stuff from the floor, but before it went out of his reach, he reached out to caress her leg, trying to give her a little support.  
The girl jumped and stared at him again. They were silent looking at each other for a few seconds before she smiled a little and turned away from him.  
She hurried out of the bathroom, and Draco sighed, relaxing against the cold marble. only at the memory of Granger's curvy figure, he felt a certain movement in his lower parts and found himself thinking that if he didn't bring up the subject he would probably be sinking into that soft and warm body again. Frustrated, he held his breath for a moment before diving into the water to clear his head.

They no longer talked about the bathtub episode. On Saturday evenings, at about seven, Hermione was still in front of the mirror looking at herself. In those days she had exchanged owls with Daphne, and the girl had recommended her to be elegant, for this reason the girl had struggled into a little black dress, with a one-shoulder with rhinestone and silver inserts, and black high heels.  
Malfoy was waiting for her downstairs and had already called her back several times to tell her to hurry, but Hermione was never convinced. She couldn't get used to having that hair and that face, she didn't seem to recognize herself. Maybe it was just a matter of time.  
She went down the stairs carefully, finding herself in front of the voracious and inquiring gaze of the blond, who scrutinized her from head to toe.  
«Stop looking at me like that. » She said irritably.  
The boy returned her a stony look and merely held out his hand for the joint dematerialization. They arrived at Daphne's lobby door just in time to see her and her husband come out of the elevator.  
Hermione took advantage of this to study Charles Pirren well. He was a man in his thirties, it was obvious that he was older than Daphne with the slight white streaks in his hair, and a few wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. He had a dark brown mop and two blue eyes that shone gaily as he argued with his wife, his jaw covered with a thin, square beard. He wore a flawless dark blue suit designating a sculpted physique. On her arm Daphne looked tiny, wrapped in an emerald green sheath dress with a ruffle decorating the breast band.  
«Draco, Beatris, you have arrived! » Trilled Daphne. «Come on honey, I'll introduce them to you. »  
«This is Draco Malfoy. » She said as Draco held out his hand. «And she is his partner, Beatris Nott. »  
Hermione stepped forward to shake his hand too, but it seemed to her that the other was holding it too much.  
«Miss Nott… the pleasure is all mine. » He barely murmured.  
Hermione squirmed uncomfortably under that gaze, before catching a forced smile from Daphne. Draco's hand slipped between her shoulder blades and then onto her shoulder, drawing her to him, and the man let go.  
«Let's go, or we'll be late. » Malfoy just said. When the world stopped spinning after the Joint Dematerialization, she found herself in a mammoth entrance hall made entirely of pale marble. In the adjoining room, there was a great shouting.  
Hermione sighed, bracing herself as Daphne and Charles preceded them.  
Malfoy's grip on the arm was reassuring.  
«Ready? »He whispered in a low voice.  
«Ready. » She answered firmly.

The evening was becoming increasingly difficult for Hermione, and surprisingly for Draco as well. She had imagined that the boy was at ease among his peers, instead he seemed even more irritated than her, but both were champions at putting a smile on their faces and being the most adorable of couples.  
In less than two hours they had met everyone in that room, in the "discreet" dinner of only thirty-two people held by Patrick Germont. They had known him first, he and his wife Michelle. He was an affable and jovial man, or so it seemed, but certainly very full of himself.  
In his forties, he spent his life taking care of his land and buildings and living on income, but he surrounded himself with important people.  
Leading officials and ministry office managers, Daphne's husband, whom Hermione soon realized was a big shot. She felt like she was back at a LumaClub party, only with more money and fewer kids.  
For half an hour she had been engaged in conversation with Charlotte Brown, the wife of the director of MACUSA's Disinformation Office, who was busy covering the magical events with fake news. Hermione made a quick survey of the room. The head of the Auror office had not yet shown up. Wasn't he there?  
«How long do you and Draco plan to stay?» Asked Charlotte, a woman in her early fifties, with dark blond hair and green eyes, surrounded by a few hen's feet and a soft suit.  
«Well, I should ask my fiance, I suppose we'll stay until his business is done. And I must say that I am in no hurry to return, for now I like New York a lot. I'm almost sorry to think about going back to London. » She said with a perfect smile of circumstance.  
«You are quite right, our city is spectacular. But my dear, you can't miss one of my women-only afternoons. Men always talk about business, money, ministry. They are so boring! Instead, we organize SPA afternoons, shopping and a few drinks. We have a lot more fun! I'll get you an owl for the next one. » She said confidentially.  
Hermione smiled. As boring as the evening was, it was turning out to be fruitful. They had to get to move in that circle.  
As she chirped with Charlotte and felt her neurons slowly slip away, a hand slipped on her waist and a cold kiss landed on her temple.  
«Excuse me honey, Mr. Harrinson got me involved in an all too interesting Quidditch discussion and I couldn't get out of there. » He said in a slightly ironic tone, but Hermione focused on the only important information.  
She smiled, concealing. «Do not worry my love. I was just organizing a ladies-only afternoon with Mrs Brown. » She pressed to her boyfriend.  
«You are such a beautiful couple, two young men in their full splendor. » The woman gulped down a glass of champagne before placing it on a tray suspended in the air. «If you will excuse me, I'm going to find my husband. I think, Mr. Malfoy, he's got stuck in some argument too, and if I don't go get him right away, he's going to overdo the champagne a little too much. »  
Hermione greeted the lady with a smile, and took a quick look around, then placed her cheek on Malfoy's, bringing her mouth to his and pretending to kiss him. They chatted lovingly for a few seconds before he casually grabbed her by the waist and led her around the room, aimlessly. Only when Hermione hit someone's shoulder did she understand the game.  
«Oh my God, I'm sorry… I'm really a goof! » She said sadly.  
The boy turned smiling.  
«Don't worry… Oh, Miss Nott. I've been asking Mr. Malfoy about her all evening. We finally know each other! »  
Hermione quickly realized what exactly Malfoy thought he could finish, and cursing him mentally, she curled her lips into a nice smile.  
«My pleasure… Mr.? »  
«Harrinson. I'm Benjamin Harrinson. »


	6. Chapter 6

Disappearing in their house was a greater relief than she was willing to admit. As soon as they landed and entered, she started to pull out her wand but Malfoy preceded her.  
He pointed the wand to her face, and murmured something, and the straight hair she'd had around all evening came back curly and frizzy, her eyes golden, and her face softened.  
«Thank you. » She murmured. «I am exhausted. »  
«Me too, but we're not done for tonight. We need to report, it's broad daylight in London. » Malfoy pinched his nose before picking up a pen and paper and fumbling a little more awkwardly with the ballpoint pen. Hermione giggled, taking it out of his hand.  
«Leave it, I do, or we'll finish it tomorrow morning. » she took the pen and began to write, condensing the evening to the maximum. They had met Harrinson's son, who had an obvious crush on Beatris Nott, and taking advantage of this bond they would have approached him. Malfoy sent the message to Harry with his wand before taking off his jacket and shirt casually, throwing them on the sofa.  
«Malfoy, don't leave your stuff lying around. » She said, perching in the armchair.  
«Shut up Granger. » He muttered. «How do you think she went? »  
«I do not know. I'm afraid I haven't done enough. » She replied thoughtfully.  
«Harrinson obviously loves you. It's a good start. » He said annoyed.  
«Wasn't it the goal? »  
«Be nice to his father too when we see him. »  
«God, I hope as late as possible. I feel almost… dirty after tonight. All that hypocrisy put together has ... made me dirty. »  
«This is how the rich keep themselves rich. They form friendships, bonds. Fake or true, they work. »  
«And that's okay with you? » She muttered, her eyes almost completely closed.  
«I hate it almost as much as you do. I've always hated Granger. I'm not made for ... pleasantries. »  
He was expecting a sarcastic response from the girl, but she didn't come, and when he turned to look at her, he found her asleep.  
He snorted. Up until a second ago they were talking. He rubbed his hands over his face again. He understood perfectly what Granger meant. All those fake friendships and all the hypocrisy he had to show off had put him to the test, he no longer tolerated all that Pureblood bullshit, and thank goodness, when he became an Auror, he was dedicated to much more concrete things.  
He looked at Granger again. Several times during the evening he had perceived her discomfort, but she had been good, she had had the appearance and temper of a Pureblood. But he preferred her curly - he decided - definitely. And with the eyes of that hazelnut streaked with gold. And with that determination in her eyes, with that passion that he had read there just a few days before, in the tub and ...  
He scolded himself slightly for his absurd thoughts about Granger, before falling asleep.

A week later, Benjamin Harrinson invited her and Malfoy to dinner. It was the opportunity they were waiting for, and they could no longer stand still waiting for something to happen.  
It had to be said that their relations were improving. Screams could no longer be heard bouncing around the house, and even though their characters collided in many places, they managed to stop arguing. Indeed, most of the time they also found themselves peacefully discussing their past, or plans at the Ministry, and even laughing at some idiotic joke of one or the other.  
Draco was a pleasant company as well as not very talkative. A few times he had opened up to her, and the girl began to take those moments as rare as they are precious. He was undeniably an intelligent and pragmatic person, and she already knew it, good at his job. If he managed to strike up an argument she could continue for hours without ever tiring her, it was rare for Hermione to find a pleasant interlocutor.  
Then there were moments when he went back to being the usual asshole.  
«I recommend Granger. Take out your weapons if you know what I mean. » He winked at her.  
Like this.  
«You are a pig. » She replied angrily as she went upstairs to get ready, and he did not deny it, shrugging his shoulders absently.  
She chose an elegant dress, high heels, carefully styled her hair and braced herself for the falsest of smiles.  
When they arrived at her Harrinson house, her adrenaline ran through her veins.  
Benjamin Harrinson walked up to her smiling, completely ignoring Draco, who glared at him with her eyes.  
«Beatris dear, you are wonderful. »  
«Oh, Benjamin, you flatter me. »  
«This is my sister, Rose, my father, and my mother, John and Margarite. »  
«It is really a pleasure to meet you, and we thank you for your hospitality. I am Beatris Nott, and this is my partner, Draco Malfoy. »  
«Nott huh? I knew some of the Nott from London, you come from there, right? »  
«As soon as we heard of a visitor from London we immediately wanted to know more. Forgive my husband, he is rude. »  
«It's not a problem. I met Beatris at a dinner organized by Theodore Nott. He is the only Nott left in England now, Beatris was visiting on business, and we started dating from that evening. » Hermione smiled and hugged her boyfriend's arm, but John didn't seem to agree.  
«The only free Nott in England, you mean. Just as you are the only free English Malfoy to date. »  
«John please, let's not start over. » Murmured his wife.  
«Oh please Margarite, it's a shame. No Pureblood should be behind bars for Merlin. » He muttered but at a sign from his wife he fell silent.  
Hermione flashed her eyes at him, and squeezed Draco's arm imperceptibly. The Harrinson family was suspect from miles away. And what most stood out was the boy was totally harmless.  
All evening he had been talking to her, and the rest of the time he had been silent, literally hanging from the lips of his father, who seemed far more involved than he wanted to make it seem.  
The dinner was repulsive. John had turned out to be not only a pureblood traditionalist with delusions of grandeur but also a fervent supporter of the "Power to the Pureblood" policy. Hermione was about to stick the golden knife with which she was cutting, or rather, slaughtering the roast in her eye, but she remained calm and tried to outline her profile.  
Sometimes Draco's hand stroked her knee or shoulder, and she wasn't sure he was doing it to pretend like her or to keep her from reacting.  
John seemed to be testing the ground, probing their answers. He threw a few jabs and then pulled her back, to see their reactions. Draco seemed to measure his answers perfectly. He nonchalantly freed himself from expressing his opinions, but with shrewd and convincing jokes, he always placed himself in a position of advantage over John, who seemed satisfied at the end of the dinner.  
Hermione was commandeered by Margarite and Rose, but she watched helplessly as Draco was led into a parlor by Benjamin and John.  
«Don't worry Beatris. They'll give it back to you whole. John likes a lot of cigars and whiskey. »  
«Then she'll get along very well with Draco I'm afraid. » Hermione chuckled.  
«I see my son thinks you are a really good Beatris girl. I hope Draco doesn't mind. »  
«But no, imagine. Benjamin is a smart guy, and he is absolutely not disrespectful, quite the contrary. He made a very good impression on Draco too. We are doing very well here in New York right now. Draco will have a meeting with the director of Potion & Potions in a few days, but I am already sad at the thought of having to leave before the month we are taking vacation. »  
While the woman was chatting about all the places she absolutely had to visit before leaving New York, Hermione glanced at her door, she almost wanted to burn it with her eyes to know what the others were doing in the living room. If she was to stay and listen to the futile and superficial talk of women enslaved to their husbands, she only hoped that at least Draco was digging some spiders out of the hole. 

Meanwhile Draco exulted intimately. The old man had been teasing him all evening, and he knew he had caught his attention. He sat down in the soft chair, grabbing a glass of whiskey.  
«I'm sorry if I pushed you a little bit Draco during dinner. You see, when my son invites someone into my house, I must first make sure that he is ... a person of honor. »  
The boy looked at his father with undisguised anger but was silent.  
«Don't worry John. He is a legitimate concern, with all the blood traitors out there. »  
He took a sip of Whiskey. He needed a good dose of calm to keep shooting bullshit and not force him to talk to baddies, but the old man was a Pureblood to the bone, probably trained in Occlumency and very powerful. He couldn't risk it, so he drew back the pureblood soul he had during the war.  
The man nodded as if he had told a sacred truth. «True? I mean, young Malfoy, you are perhaps one of the few Purebloods I know who hasn't mixed with the Mudblood scum, worse Mudblood! Ours is an extremely precious heritage and has been preserved as such. My boy here happened to fall in love with just a Muggle. » He twisted his mouth in disgust. «I had to bring him back to reason. » Draco looked pityingly at the boy's red face, who stared at the bottom of the glass with his head down. It reminded him so much of him with Lucius.  
He didn't want to get too out of balance. «I'm sure she only did what she thought was right for her son of hers. »  
The old man took a last sip of liquor before stretching in the chair.  
«I like you Draco. You have spirit, moral integrity. Soon Draco… soon I'll show you something. »  
And when his son's face turned with surprise, Draco knew he had won.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione was just deciding whether to drain an entire jug of Margarita to survive the evening when Rose said something that caught her attention like a bolt of lightning.  
«You've met Charles before, I guess. It won't take him long to hit on you. »  
Rose was tall and thin, shoulder-length blond and fair hair, a thin face, elongated features, and a nice long tongue.  
That girl seemed to know everything about everyone, she acted like a prom queen.  
Besides, she hadn't taken her eyes off Draco all evening. Not that she cared, anyway. Malfoy wasn't any of her business.  
And finally, she looked at her badly, really bad, it seems that she despised her.  
In any case she didn't like her. In no way. They hadn't talked too much all evening, and never in too friendly tones while Margarite sounded delicious.  
She looked much younger than her husband, and she was flawless. All evening she had asked her about her occupation, her passions, and Hermione had had to remember several times that she couldn't reveal too much about herself, and stick to what they had set out, and in the process she had discovered much of her.  
Rose after Ilvermorny studied Medicine, and worked in the hospital, Margarite was a retired magic lawyer. Their life seemed to unfold between work and social gatherings, and Hermione noticed, curiously, that they always seemed very detached from John.  
«He didn't try it on me. » She said, frowning. «Why should he? I am engaged, he is married. »  
Rose raised her eyebrows sceptically. «Charles doesn't care if he's married dear. And you are so pretty, and you have a real man beside you. Charles always has to prove something. »  
«Do you mean that he has already done it? » She said shocked. «But Daphne ...? »  
«Greengrass knows where her place is. »  
«Rose, don't speak in those terms. Daphne is adorable but she… » Margarite sighed, looking at her daughter who, on the contrary, seemed satisfied. «Charles has a weakness for beautiful women. Usually he doesn't go beyond a couple of advances, but a few months ago Daphne found him in bed with the wife of the Auror office manager, Gregory Noymes. And the next day the poor girl came to dinner with her husband with a beautiful smile on her face and her eyes swollen with tears. And Charles was totally calm. He's not really… well, loyal. »  
«But he's… awful. Hermione whispered. “I don't… I would never succeed. Daphne she was… very strong. »  
«It is said that her is not just a question of love. » Rose insinuated again.  
«Rose! I refuse to even believe it! » Margarite burst out indignantly.  
«What… what are you referring to? » Hermione was no longer just curious about the mission, but she wanted to understand more.  
Daphne had become her friend in those weeks, she was kind, nice, self-confident, a good company, a breath of fresh air in that circle of hypocrites and traditionalists. She had told her so many episodes from Hogwarts.  
She intended to make Draco look good in the eyes of a girlfriend, but she was doing it even more in Hermione's eyes. She was learning so much about Draco, and the group that made up him, Blaise and Daphne seemed more and more like the one she had with Ron and Hermione.  
«Well… Astoria's treatment is expensive. » Rose barked in satisfaction before her mother gave her another piercing glance.  
«Oh my God… it's… awful. » Hermione whispered.  
«Don't listen to Rose my dear. She and Carolina, the Brown's daughter, have too much time to waste. Charles is not a monster, he is a friend… he has done so much for us, and we shouldn't talk about him like that. » And she shot another glare at her daughter who she snorted lightly.  
Hermione cleared her throat, and she just nodded, reassuring the woman.  
Her head kept buzzing madly.  
When the door to the sitting room opened and she let out Draco, visibly unnerved but with the usual haughty demeanour that he maintained in front of the others, he jumped at the opportunity and got up to hug him. The boy gave her a strange look back but she feigned a smile.  
“Please excuse us, but I think it's time for us to go. "She said softly, and after five minutes, they walked through the door, closing that horrible evening.  
They disappeared absorbed in their thoughts, almost without noticing it hand in hand yet.

Once home, they had a lot to say to each other, and for added security, they took care to soundproof and cast a spell of dissimulation around them.  
Draco threw himself on the sofa followed by Hermione, who tucked her legs under her. The girl, taken by the news of the evening, had forgotten to cancel the transfiguration charms, which disturbed him more than she wanted to admit, so much so that he murmured the spell himself.  
«Oh thanks. » She just shook her head. «Tell me you've found out. »  
He quickly set her aside for John's strange invitation, which he was enthusiastic about.  
«Do you think he'll show you any artifacts? »  
«Immediately? No, he's too smart. He'll probably show me some family heirlooms, people so traditionalists care. A few medallions, a few bits. Anything interesting. »  
«Is there no way to shorten it? I don't know, ask him directly to sell us something. We have been here for three weeks, soon the excuse of the purchase will no longer hold up. »  
«We will have to invent something. The ranks of its customers are narrow, they are not chosen at random. It's not like going to a restaurant and ordering a dish. You have to win the trust of these subjects, show them that you are on their own ropes. »  
«You seem to understand these kinds of people well. » The girl had curled her legs under her thighs, pulling the already tight skirt she had worn that evening and making it fit more closely to her body.  
«My father had the same mentality. I have lived with him for years, and for years I have seen such social events take place at the Manor. I know how to deal with these kinds of people. » He replied simply.  
«I was really on the verge of reacting tonight. How do you… how can one wish so much harm to another human being? I don't ... » she shot him a look. «I'll tell you, then ...»  
«Granger… believe me, I am immensely ashamed of supporting that kind of mentality. I was young, and stupid, and I got carried away. » He told her sincerely and smiled slightly as her face cleared. The girl nodded.  
«I know. It was very difficult not to get them all. »  
«You were good. » He told her spontaneously.  
She blushed slightly before turning serious. «I have to talk to you about something. I got some feedback too tonight. Apparently the circle of friends is not all that solid. » she quickly told him everything she had known about Daphne and Charles, and the boy was stunned.  
«But this is not possible. » He murmured.  
«Absurd right? Rose seemed to be waiting for nothing but waiting for the opportunity to gossip about it. And according to what Charles is used to seducing other women, they told me to be on guard. »  
«No, I don't mean Charles. Ever since that guy first set his sights on you, I've clearly guessed what kind of person he was, but Daphne. She would never forgive a betrayal. Daphne ditched Blaise even just because a Slytherin our year implied that he had hit on her. There is no way for her to forgive a betrayal. »  
Hermione shook her head, telling him the sentence Rose had thrown there about Astoria. «It's horrible, but it can't be true ... Margarite then tried to fix it, and above all they seem to owe something to Charles. »  
«Fuck…» Draco hissed. «What a son of a bitch. »  
«Maybe that's not true ...» Hermione murmured.  
«Maybe… but we have to find out. » Draco asserted. «I can't believe it ... if Daphne had asked me for help ...»  
Hermione gave him a good look, he looked really hurt.  
«Malfoy, Daphne is an adult. I'm sure she didn't want to owe you maybe and she… she got by on her own. »  
The boy didn't answer her, getting up with a jump of nervousness, and Hermione hesitated for a moment before following him.  
«Malfoy… » she whispered.  
«What do you want? » He snapped.  
The girl grabbed his arm before turning him towards her and hugging him lightly. The boy's eyes widened in amazement and it took him a moment longer to hold that small and soft body.  
Granger's hair smelled good, he decided. It wasn't too sweet and cloying, rather delicate, a slight hint of vanilla.  
«I think I'll go to sleep now. » She said, breaking away after a few seconds.  
«Granger? »  
«Yes? »  
Draco pulled her to him quickly, before placing a kiss on her lips. He slowly probed her mouth, and parted her lips with his tongue, in a short but intense kiss.  
«You look very good tonight. » He whispered on her lips.  
She giggled. «I've been dressed like this for at least five hours ... »  
«Yes, but now I really see you. » He took a lock of frizzy curls in his hands and turned it over a couple of times.  
The girl seemed to blush again, and she slowly pulled away from him. «Thanks Malfoy… and goodnight. »


	8. Chapter 8

Ever since Hermione found out about Daphne at the Harrinsons' dinner, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She could not connect the image of the sweet and always smiling girl with that of a woman betrayed by her husband.  
She had left Ron for a lot less, she recognized it. And Draco's words made her think. Was there really something more below?  
In any case, she didn't have much time to try to find out. The Harrinsons now entertained a close correspondence and various social encounters with them.  
It had been more or less a month since their meeting, and Draco had fit perfectly into the shoes of the haughty Pureblood, becoming a great friend of John. The blond was growing impatient. He knew that John would soon reveal the traffick, but each time the man seemed to postpone, and he was more and more nervous about impersonating a man who did not reflect him.  
Moreover, the acquisition of the store was going all too fast. He had reached a turning point with the owner, who wanted to sell, and in a few days the contract would be signed. Hermione was worried, as well as for the huge number of galleons that the boy had agreed to shell out for a mission, also for him.  
The nervousness was so palpable in the air that they hardly spoke anymore, except for work. They didn't even have sex anymore, plus Draco was often out and about most of the night, and the next morning he would always dryly inform Hermione of the same thing. He and John had had great, good chats about the old Pureblood days gone by. The girl realized how much she missed even those few moments of peace she had with him, not just sex. She missed him, and she didn't know what to do, she sensed that he was nervous, and angry but there was nothing she could do to improve things. It was frustrating for her too.  
They had even begun to doubt that they had got the right person.  
Hermione on her part was trying to find out more about Rose and Margarite. She had become friends with them, and with subtle and well-placed questions she seemed to be investigating them, who looked like two simple middle-class people, unaware of her husband's trafficking.  
For Benjamin she felt sincere affection. He was a sensitive boy with a gold heart, and he clearly showed how much he was a victim of his father. That day, Benjamin had invited her for a coffee in one of the closest cafes to Central Park. Hermione agreed, and asked Draco not to show up. She believed that Benjamin would open up more with her, and she wasn't wrong.  
«You know, I noticed that Draco is very attached to my father. » He sayd indeed.  
«He always speaks very highly of him. Apparently he has found a similar him to him. » Hermione nodded.  
«Yeah… my father keeps telling me that I should be more like him. »  
Hermione pretended to be surprised. «I don't see why. You seem like a great person to me Benjamin, I don't see why you should change. »  
«You know… my father is very… radical. » He said hesitantly. «And I don't share his ideals. »  
Hermione just stared at him for a few seconds. «Benjamin, you can talk to me, you know. »Said softly to him.  
The boy stood looking at him confused. She smiled and put her hand on his shoulder.  
«Nothing you tell me will reach anyone else, I really mean it. »  
The boy then took a deep breath. «I… I met a lot of Mudbloods at school, in journalist specialization, at the Ghost. So many Mudbloods who have magical power as much as mine if not superior. Once ... once I made the mistake of dating a Mudblood. Her name is Georgia. My father forced me to leave her, threatening to harm her. »  
Hermione's mouth dropped open, only partially amazed. «I don't believe it ... your father seems such a good man. » She lied shamelessly.  
His mouth twisted. «He's only good at hiding. If you knew Beatris ... if you only knew. »  
«You knew what? Ben, is there anything you want to vent? » Hermione lowered her voice and shook his hand. «Did he… hurt you? »  
«No! No, absolutely not, thankfully. » He hastened to clarify. «It's just that ...»  
She was still silent.  
«Nothing. Really, forget what I told you Beatris. I don't want to put you in difficult positions. »  
The girl barely held back a sigh of frustration, but she spread her lips in a smile.  
«When you want to confide in me, I'll be here to listen to you Benj, I really mean it. » She said, not without a grain of truth. She really felt a great pity for him.

When she got home she quickly spotted Malfoy in the pool. He spent practically all of his free time there, doing laps after laps. Hermione could see how much she relaxed him, and she was very worried about him. He looked like someone else. He had never been a talkative or particularly nice interlocutor but having to be in contact with Harrinson so much proved it enough.  
She changed into a swimsuit she picked up at random from the closet and joined him to tell him the news. When he saw her coming, the boy turned his back on her.  
«How was the romantic date with baby Harrinson?» he beckoned her.  
Hermione ignored her sarcastic tone. «Better than I expected. »  
She had kept Beatris' hair and face, just to be on the safe side. Draco had told her earlier that he didn't rule out Harrinson from checking him out. She thought the old man was more foresighted than he showed.  
«What do you mean? »  
«Benjamin has more or less confirmed to me that his father is handling something illicit, but he is too afraid to speak. He told me about his crush on a Muggleborn and how his father forced him to leave her. I have the impression that he could be our ally when it comes to framing his father. » She murmured.  
«He's a coward, I wouldn't rely on him too much. »He replied, leaning on the edge of the pool.  
Hermione paused a moment too long to stare at him. Malfoy had the curious gift of looking more or less perfect whatever he did. Even at that moment, with a simple black costume, his hair wet on her forehead and his eyes reddened by chlorine, he awakened in her the desire to attack him immediately.  
It had also been a long time since they had taken advantage of his Proposal, and it was starting to be felt.  
She then silently approached him.  
«Do you have to go to Harrinson's tonight? »  
«Heaven not be praised. »  
«Do you have any other commitments? »  
«No. »  
«Could you at least try to make conversation like any human being? » She was piqued.  
«What the fuck do you want Granger? »  
Hermione quickly grabbed her wand to cast a Muffliato and a Concealment Charm around the pool they were immersed in, and she let out her anger.  
«What the fuck is wrong with you? We haven't even been able to converse decently in weeks, does that seem normal to you? » She shouted then. «We are alone here, if it is not clear to you, and if we do not try to… cooperate, we will go crazy! »  
«I am already going crazy! You have no idea what it is like to show up every day in the presence of that megalomaniac without smashing his face! »  
«You should be used to hearing some bullshit! Wasn't your father the most extreme Pureblood in England? »  
«Exactly! » He thundered. «I didn't want to hear about this bullshit anymore! I don't want to relive those moments! »  
Hermione stood looking at him in amazement. She knew the situation was stressful for both of them, she missed her friends immensely, and her home, but she tried to resist. She felt slightly guilty. She had never realized how much he was feeling the pinch.  
«I'm sorry. I had no idea that… he tried so hard. » She whispered then.  
The boy stared at her with a look so vulnerable that she felt a staring straight at her heart, before turning around.  
«Get out Granger. » he murmured then before diving back into the water.  
Hermione hesitated before taking a deep breath. Malfoy might be an asshole, but she didn't leave a sick person to herself. So she, as he emerged, she walked over to him, touching his shoulder.  
«Malfoy ...»  
«What's Granger? » He sighed again, defeated.  
Hermione forced him to turn to her, and before he could push her away, she threw her arms around his neck to kiss him.  
The boy had an initial moment of amazement, before hesitantly reciprocating.  
Hermione distinctly felt her heart race as his arms encircled her and his kiss intensified, but at some point he forcibly pulled away.  
«What…? » she looked at him as he took his wand and pointed it at her face, and the weight of her curls fell on her shoulders.  
«I want you, not a fake face. » He whispered before lowering his lips to her.  
Hermione sighed at the familiar warmth of the boy, who wrapped her in his arms and lifted her, weightless thanks to the water. Their lips searched for each other thirsty, as if only at that moment they realized how much they had missed each other, and soon Hermione began to press on the boy's erection, enjoying the sigh of pleasure that escaped from his lips.  
The boy brought a hand to undo the bikini top, making it fall off her shoulders and abandoning it in the water. His hands encircled her breast squeezing it, and his lips descended on her neck in hot kisses that made her moan. The girl hooked the index fingers to Malfoy's costume, making him go down and releasing the soaring erection, which she rubbed on her, still covered by the bikini.  
When the boy slipped his hand into her bikini and touched her a shiver ran all over her body.  
«Malfoy… please. » She whispered, and the boy seemed inflamed at those words.  
He almost tore off her bikini and without warning of her he squeezed her tighter and entered her with a sharp blow.  
They were astonished to stare at each other for a few seconds.  
It was different… it was something different. It wasn't just passion, they needed that.  
Their whole normality had been upset by that mission and the only moment in which they were real, in which the mission took second place, was when they let their bodies do the talking.  
Draco pushed himself into that warm and sensitive body, with slow and rhythmic thrusts like they had never done before. Between them it had always been an all-consuming, burning passion, but at that moment they were enjoying each other, without haste, without the spasmodic search for orgasm, they didn't want it to end quickly. The girl's hands caressed his chest, shoulders, face, lips glued to her. They seemed unable to break away  
«Drac ...» the girl whispered. He stared at her with eyes wide with surprise, kissed her again, and again.  
Her orgasm was different from usual, it came slowly, spread throughout her body, inflaming her. She sank his nails into Malfoy's toned shoulders as he accelerated his last thrusts, only to let go in her shortly after.  
They remained panting and breathless, still united, not moving for what seemed eternal, and Hermione, feeling as light as she hadn't felt in long, leaned on his shoulder.  
«Are you falling asleep Granger? » He chuckled when the girl hugged his body tighter.  
«Maybe ...» she said, her voice thick.  
«Come on woman, we have to get out of here. » He tried again, but she giggled.  
«Five minutes… »  
Draco sighed, before hugging her better in his arms and concentrating, reaching out to his wand.  
A sharp crack and Draco landed on the mattress with a soft thud, taking the girl with him.  
«Where we are? » She murmured.  
«In my room Granger. Get some sleep ... »  
«No ... I'm going back to my room ...» she yawned.  
«After. Sleep Granger, neither I nor my bed bite. » He chuckled, gently stepping out of her and drying them both with his wand.  
The girl curled up against his body, and Draco just had time to cover both of them with the sheet before the fatigue and pleasant post-orgasm relaxation got the better of him too, causing him to fall asleep, one arm still around her waist.


	9. Chapter 9

John went to bed with a sigh of relief, next to him Margarite sound asleep. From the silence that enveloped the house he understood that everyone was asleep, and ventured to take another look at his arm, under the bandages.  
This time it had been harder than expected, the process getting harder and harder to control. He looked under the bandages that had been applied to him where a green paste was already closing the burn, but he smiled, despite the pain.  
What he was doing would pay off for everything, especially now that in Malfoy he had found a safe place for traffic management in England.  
He yawned and turned away. He liked that boy, but he had to do something fast to get that annoying Auror job out of his way.  
His wife fidgeted slightly in her sleep, then she woke up.  
«John, is that you? »  
«Yes, dear, go to sleep. »  
«You came back very late also tonight. John you have to stop … »  
“Margarite, I was just late with a few friends. Sleep easy honey. »  
The woman stared at him for a few seconds in thought, before turning and sinking back into sleep.  
John looked at her with some apprehension, his wife saw much more than he wanted. He had to be careful.

Hermione blinked in confusion, a ray of sunshine bothering her face. She rolled over in bed, a strange and pleasant languor in her body, but she almost screamed as she came face to face with Draco Malfoy peacefully asleep. After the initial fright, she fluffed the pillow, settling down.  
She had slept with a man. She had slept with Draco Malfoy. It hadn't happened to her for a long time, she had made sure it didn't happen, she had insisted with Malfoy to have two different rooms just to avoid it.  
The afternoon before, however, she had not been able to restrain herself, she had not been able to resist. They had never had sex like that, it wasn't passion that drove them, but something deeper. Hermione had felt the need he had for her, and what she had for him.  
She shook her head slightly at him. His face pale and square with only a hint of beard regrowth on his jaw, the closed eyelids that she could hide two breath-taking eyes, the thin and slightly parted lips. If she hadn't known what he was like, a sour asshole, she would have seen him as an angel, so blond and relaxed.  
A strange sensation occluded her chest but she pushed it back firmly.  
No, there was no way. She wasn't going to start feeling anything for Malfoy. No, never.  
She was a career-focused woman with a long history and a tough breakup behind her. It wasn't the time, the way, let alone the right person to start feeling something for someone.  
She sighed, her eyes falling almost involuntarily on the boy's toned chest, and further down, where the sheet had pulled away, perhaps pulled down from him in his sleep, and the Malfoy goods were on display. Definitely on display.  
She felt her intimacy awaken and throb again, and she surprised herself. She had never been so true to anyone, but she knows how Malfoy never made her embarrassed or ashamed, even in her most urgent moments, on the contrary, he urged her to bring out all of herself, to give him more.  
She almost involuntarily dropped her hand on the boy's stomach, on the soft skin of the groin. She delicately took it in her hand, stroking it slowly, spying on his reactions from time to time. The blonde sighed in his sleep, pushing his pelvis towards her but did not wake up.  
The girl then became bolder, and slowly, to not wake him, bent over him, placing a light kiss on his tip. The boy moaned again when her tongue licked all the big, but only when the girl decided to take it in her mouth, and she buried the tip in the hot mouth, he opened his eyes wide.  
«Granger ...» he sighed, his voice hoarse with sleep.  
The girl replied only with a moan as she meticulously devoted herself to her business.  
She began to lick the whole shaft and then take it in her mouth slowly, accompanying the movements of her mouth with hand, wresting a not very chaste curse from Draco. She smiled against his skin, sucking a little harder.  
«Oh Salazar… Granger. » he said in a warning tone, as he reached out to her curls, trying not to squeeze too hard.  
The girl moaned again, aware that she was getting wet quickly. She almost hesitant brought a hand to her intimacy, brushing her clitoris, not holding back a moan. Draco didn't miss it, and he definitely appreciated it.  
«Keep touching Granger. Keep on… Christ. » the girl accelerated her movements, feeling all the tension build up on the boy's lower abdomen, and she didn't stop, eager to make him come.  
The boy moaned again, and it didn't take long to cum in her mouth.  
She swallowed enjoying its sour taste and gently peeled away.  
«Good morning. » she whispered.  
«This is a good morning. » Malfoy gasped, his hands still in her hair. «Come here. » he murmured in a tone that made her tremble, making her climb on top of him.  
Hermione moaned, rubbing herself against him as his hand quickly came down to stimulate her. She bending backwards with one hand, she resumed the boy's erection, which was ready again in a few minutes.  
«What are you doing to me Granger? » He whispered almost unconsciously.  
The girl smiled before aligning him with her entrance and gently lowering herself on him.  
Draco hugged and kissed her, letting her lead the rhythm as she liked her most, surrendering to an ever-growing passion, which he recognized, it was no longer just sexual.  
That girl was entering dangerously inside him, even so she was fussy and complaining as she was, unbearable at times, but she meant something to him.  
No, there was no way. He wasn't going to start feeling anything for Granger. No, never.  
When the girl came trembling over him, however, looking at her face shocked and reddened by her pleasure, his certainties failed.  
His Proposal was literally driving him mad. Damn him.

They spent the early hours of the morning rolling around in the sheets, and they decided to get up for something to eat only around nine. They didn't talk, but they both knew something had changed and Hermione couldn't think about the mission that day, but she only had one obsession, him. She silently put the toast on the table before sitting down next to him and starting to spread the jam on her.  
Draco poured tea to both of them and without a word took his, slowly sipping it as he read the new copy of the New York Ghost.  
Hermione remained silent, brooding in silence on the familiarity that those gestures had assumed, together with the silent presence of the man who was next to her.  
She wondered if she had ever really known Draco Malfoy before that month together.  
She had always assumed that she knew what kind of person he was. A haughty and arrogant boy, a man even more arrogant if possible, and she had always behaved with him as if he were an enemy, always trying to fight him. She had only had to lower her defences a minimum to discover a totally new man.  
No, not new. The real man behind Draco Malfoy's mask.  
Only a few days earlier Daphne had told her something that she had upset her a lot.  
They were having tea in his attic, on his terrace, and Draco had walked away for a moment.

“I'm really glad he's with you. You know… Draco hadn't been like this in a long time. » she whispered confidentially.  
«As well as? » She asked curiously.  
«You know… Draco was such an outgoing guy, even funny, you would never say that now. Not with the others of course. He was a bully, but he was just a terrible insecure, especially with the trio of Potter, Weasley and Granger. That little girl was the source of all his problems. She was a genius, and his father treated him very badly, surpassed by a Muggle-born… for Lucius Malfoy it was an affront. How much bullshit. Anyway… in Slytherin we made up any. Then ... his father was arrested for the first time and he began to harbour so much resentment ... he became another person, he took a slope that led to his ruin. And I'm afraid it might happen to him again. Stay close to him Beatris, don't leave him alone. Promise me. "

She sighed, banging the cup on the saucer with a little too much force, causing the boy to look up.  
«Are you okay? » He asked her.  
«Yeah, okay ... just ...» she tried to come up with any excuse. «I miss London. We've been here for a long time, and I don't know how long we'll have to stay and… it's hard. »  
Draco nodded. «I understand. »  
She widened her eyes in surprise. «Then you too have a heart.»  
«Did you doubt it? »He said, grinning.  
Hermione made a face at him. «Quite. You don't indulge in many human manifestations, you know? »  
«They've already told me this. »  
«What an asshole. » She snorted.  
«Yes, this too. Stand still, evil witch! » He raised his arms to shield himself from the rolled up newspaper that Hermione waved over his head.  
Hermione put down the paper, returning to her cup of tea, and he peered at her thoughtfully.  
«Anyway, I thought you liked New York. »  
«I like it, sure, but I'm experiencing it so little. I am always with Margarite, or Charlotte, Daphne, Rose. » she said, wrinkling her nose at her last name. «It’s difficult to explore a city if their only interest is shopping and gossiping. »  
Draco grinned, closing the newspaper.  
«Dress up Granger. »  
«Why? »  
«We’re going out. »  
«But we don't have anyone to see today and ...»  
«I didn't say we're going out with anyone. » He said. «Ready in half an hour. You can forget the high heels, I hate the noise of those damned things. »

The day was getting better by the second.  
Empire State Building, the Museum of Modern Arts, the Rockefeller Center.  
Hermione was walking with her nose in the air so much that Draco had to grab her several times to keep her from falling to the ground. On the contrary, the girl more and more often drew his attention by pulling him by the sweater, by the hand, taking him to see works, canvases, sculptures that attracted his attention.  
The girl had an everlasting light in her eyes that kept Draco from complaining for the countless hours he spent standing following her, that he was hungry, or thirsty, or tired. He was watching her, enthusiastic as a child as she moved frantically from one room to another, wriggling among the people crowding the museum. He didn't even know why he had the crazy idea of taking her around New York, and he didn't want to think about it. He just wanted to keep looking at her.  
They had lunch on the street. Draco wanted to stop at a restaurant, but Hermione didn't admit wasting so much time, so they stopped in one of the many Muggle take-away trucks they found on the street for two steaming hotdogs. And Draco also had to admit that Muggle stuff was good too.  
It was late afternoon, and it was starting to get dark as Draco made his way to Central Park.  
«Can I know where we are going? »  
«You've seen just the Muggle version of New York. »He replied simply.  
Hermione pulled away to avoid two guys on bicycles and a man hovering four Starbucks coffees, and she was pulled by Draco straight into the park. This lined up with the beaten track where the visitor path was, followed by her. Signs for Bethesda Fountain, the heart of Central Park, were clear, at regular intervals, and only got there after a ten-minute walk. Hermione and Draco looked around casually, pretending to stroll quietly as they approached the fountain.  
«And now? » Hermione whispered as they circled around to settle in the darkest area.  
Draco, pretending to be engrossed in contemplation of the landscape, cleared his throat.  
The statue of the angel in the center of the fountain came to life, winking in their direction. Draco put his foot on the step of the fountain dragging her with him and the huge marble construction began to turn on itself. When it stopped, Hermione made a lot of eyes.  
The American Diagon Alley counterpart presented itself as a chaotic fair in the middle of Central Park. The shops were of the most disparate, housed under large awnings the size of country houses that really stood up only by magic, and exuberant wizards and witches in bright and colourful clothes.  
There was the animal emporium, full of owls flapping their wings noisily in the large golden cages suspended in the void. Hermione caught a glimpse of a Crookshanks-like cat, with a less flattened muzzle wriggling around a ball of bewitched wool splashing up and down her cage.  
Two witches were competing for a large jar of toad's eyes, in the Potions Emporium, where small vials were crammed on a shelf behind a large and clumsy wizard who turned over and dropped two.  
Draco threw an interested glance at some Quidditch items peeking out of a golden awning with a giant snitch on top.  
Hermione watched in amazement. «It's wonderful. »  
«Diagon Alley seems almost normal compared to this chaos, doesn't it? »   
«I was missing all of this. » The girl whispered.  
«Fizzing Whizzbees beautiful young lady?" » A wizard in an emerald, green hat approached her, rattling a brass cart filled with delicacies.  
«With pleasure. » She delighted in taking the bag as she searched for a few dollars in her overcoat.  
Draco handed the money to the wizard behind her before he could even find it and pushed her gently forward.  
«Malfoy, I'm able to pay the ...»  
«Come on Granger, let me be a gentleman. »  
«You are a male chauvinist. »  
«And you are annoying. » He rolled his eyes.  
Hermione gave up this argument by shoving a bee into her mouth and handing him one as they strolled through the small street shops. When she spotted a long white goose feather arranged together with many others on a table overloaded with books, she couldn't resist and bought it, enchanted by the softness. She shrunk it down and slipped it into his bag as she ran her gaze over the books.  
«Look! » She squeaked. «Ilvermorny story! »  
«It's not even your school, why are you interested? » He said sceptically.  
«Jokes? You can't know her story. The founder, Isolde, was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, who fled England to escape the captivity of her aunt, Gormlaith Gaunt, who kidnapped her and killed her parents in fear that her nephew would dirty the bloodline by joining muggles. The story of American magic was born of a Pureblood who rebelled against the crazy ideals of pure blood and not only that, she fell in love with a Muggle and ... »  
«Okay, stop, buy this damn book, don't tell me the whole story! »  
Hermione gave him a mad look before taking the book too, jealously keeping it in her purse.

«Where do you want to have dinner? » The boy asked her when the lights had gone out completely.  
«Shall we have dinner out? »  
«I don't see why not. We are already here ... I have an idea. »  
They returned to the fountain and the Muggle part of the park, and Draco headed straight for the Loeb Boathouse.  
«Malfoy, don't be unreasonable, we'll never get a seat without a reservation. » Hermione said.  
Malfoy gave her an amused look before pointing to the elegant waiter. He exchanged a few words with him, which he initially denied, then he seemed to change his mind when Malfoy took a few large bills out of his pocket. Hermione's eyes widened in indignation at the unfairness, but after a few seconds, the boy waved her over.  
Smiling, the waiter accompanied them in person to one of the tables next to the balustrade that overlooked the lake. The table was lit by candles and decorated with flowers and the soft warm light that reverberated on the large windows made the atmosphere all too intimate for Hermione, who blushed violently when she sat directly in front of the boy, whose clear eyes seemed to glow.  
«You did not have to. » She said embarrassed. «You didn't even have to spend that much and dinner hasn't even started and ...»  
«You know you talk too much Granger? » He said, amused. «Think about ordering and spare me the sermon. »  
Hermione gave him an unconvinced look before hiding behind the menu in a sudden upset.  
She had just come up with a speech she had made with Ginny several years ago. It's a date if he invites you, he chooses the place, he pays.  
Shit shit shit! Hermione felt herself flush.  
Ron had chosen the restaurant on their first date. She remembered thinking it was stupid, going out to dinner to start a story after eight years in which they had shared the same Common Room for nine months a year, but it was a romantic moment that she kept in her heart.  
Cormac had also chosen the restaurant on their first (and thank goodness last) date.  
But what? Was that a date? With Draco Malfoy?  
She had to stop thinking about it or she would go mad. She peered at him over the menu. When had it become so beautiful?  
Oh my God Hermione! – she gave herself a mental slap. Stop for Merlin's sake, you're not a kid!  
But when the boy looked up at her with a questioning look, she almost blushed again.  
She was fucked up.


	10. Chapter 10

«No. No really, enough wine. »  
«You should drink it more; you are strangely less unbearable. » He said, filling her glass with white wine.  
Hermione glared at him, accepting the wine anyway, and taking a bite of lobster.  
«We shouldn't have come to such an expensive place. It's too much… » she protested uncertainly as the waiter set the steak down in front of Draco.  
«Granger, you get too much trouble. »  
«This mission is costing you a lot, the house, Potions & Potions. In short, will you really buy it? »  
«I'm thinking about it. » He replied. «It's not a bad idea, as an investment, although I don't think I'll ever stop making the Auror. And I understand that it may seem exaggerated, but they are not expenses that weigh on the assets. My father left me a lot of money. » He made, almost irritated.  
«Can I ask you a question? » Hermione asked. »Have you ever really believed in the pure blood issue? »  
The boy's face became shadowy, but he answered anyway.  
«I don’t know. I don't think I've ever really embraced the cause, I've never made a decision, I've always limited myself to making a certified copy of everything my father told me. That doesn't mean he wasn't wrong. For a long time I was just a puppet in his hands, and in Voldemort's hands. »  
«You’re changed. »  
«Does it count as rebelling realizing you have to do something once you see Hogwarts fall apart? No, Granger no. I had to stop first. When Dumbledore died, when they started torturing the first year kids, when ... you got to the Manor. »  
Hermione tensed slightly, a twinge in her left arm that almost reminded her of that moment. The boy was silent and didn't even seem to want to look her in the face.  
«What you do now can redeem you from everything. » She pointed out.  
«I don't do it for the forgiveness. I know I don't deserve it, I know I have to live with what I've done. No, I do the Auror because I like it. And you? I mean, I think everyone thought you would become Minister of Magic in three years, or institute a law forbidding House Elves to do their job or ... »  
«First of all, the House Elves don't have a job since they are not paid, but only enslaved…»Hermione gasped.  
«Oh Salazar, I shouldn't have said that. » He murmured to himself.  
«And I don't even want to imagine what condition your Elves are, so don't dwell on that. Secondly ... I had thought about a career in politics but ... I don't know. It didn't seem like enough. » She said spontaneously.  
«Only you could define it not enough to be the Minister of Magic. » He grinned.  
«I thought I was cut out for that job but… well, look at the Ministry, it was the first institution to fall into subjugation by Voldemort, all the employees had to adapt. Nobody knew how to defend themselves. At least as an Auror I can fight, be on the front line, do something concrete. » She replied eagerly. «I may not feel helpless. And then ... so many things have changed in my life, so many projects that I had when I was at school have not come true. »  
Draco nodded, taking a bite. «Are you referring to the Weasel? I remember last year, you were stuck like mussels. »  
Hermione glared at him a little. By the time they returned to repeat the seventh year she and Ron had just officially gotten together, and she was delighted.  
«Ron was just… one of the reasons. I knew him so well I thought he suited me, but… it turns out we weren't that much of a soulmate. » He made a face.  
«Soul mates don't exist Granger. »  
«So romantic. »  
«No really… do you think that somewhere in the world there is a person created especially for you, or for me, or for the Weasel? Bullshit. » He said, taking a bite of meat.  
«You have to believe in something. »  
«I believe in healthy wild sex. »  
«You are a primitive. » She said even though her smile was born on her lips.  
«Tell me again when we are in bed ... ouch! » She snorted when Hermione kicked him in the shins. «God if you're touchy. »  
«If you want me to go back to your bed, you're playing it wrong. »  
«Oh, I think I know how to play it right ...» he grinned before reaching out and touching her knee.  
«Malfoy! » She whispered, embarrassed, looking around her. «You are obscene. »  
«And yet you like it when I make you ...»  
«Shut up. All you have to do is eat. » Hermione stuck her fork in his mouth to stop the obscenities she sure he was about to say and she watched him take the bite. She blushed suddenly as she remembered what he really did to her and withdrew her fork. She needed alcohol. Lots of alcohol.  
She emptied her glass in one shot while Malfoy grinned big, catching her breath. That situation was testing her self-control. One thing was just wanting to jump on him, with a man like him it was almost physiological. But the need she felt to push the tuft away from him either from her forehead or to cover his mouth with kisses or to hold on to him was starting to worry her. She was probably crazy.  
There was a quiet, pleasant silence between them, but she Hermione couldn't help but break it.  
«I wanted to thank you for… well this. It was a beautiful day. » she said, blushing slightly.  
«You needed to disconnect. We both need it. This mission is a nightmare, I feel numb, we do nothing but ruffle those ... ah Salazar, how much I would like to take the wand, break into that house and just arrest them. » he made. «I hate this respectability. »  
She nodded. «Me too. We could always do that, but we at least need to know who Harrinson's dealing with. He can't be alone. »  
«I'm working on it, but the damn guy is too cautious. »  
«I know, you're doing a good job anyway. Harrinson trusts you. »  
«It will be a double pleasure to put him in jail then. » He said, grinning.  
They finished dinner by shifting the conversation to much lighter topics, until they got to Hogwarts.  
"« keep telling you that Slytherin had nothing to do with the flooding of the Gryffindor dormitory. »  
«Oh sure sure. » Said Hermione ironically. «In the same way that Gryffindor had nothing to do with the nettles in the Slytherin dorm then. »  
«Was it you? Damn you… » he puffed up. «We've been finding thorns everywhere for weeks. »  
Hermione gloated with satisfaction. «Did you really think we wouldn't have made you pay for it? »  
«Pure and brave heart a couple of balls. » Mumbled the blond, making her laugh out loud.  
«Are you drunk Granger? »  
«Absolutely not. » She shook her head vehemently. «It's your fault and this damned wine. »  
The boy grinned before asking for the bill. They stepped out into the warm Central Park air, Hermione clutching at her arm for support, her head a little too light from the wine.  
«You got me drunk on purpose. » She mumbled her.  
«Hermione Granger stretched out by a bottle of white wine, it'll be fun to tell when we're back in London. » He grinned.  
«Keep your voice down, I'm not Hermione, but Beatris. » She resumed. «You have to be more careful, what if you're wrong when we're in public? »  
«We are not in public now. » He replied nonchalantly.  
Hermione rolled her eyes and still holding his arm just walked around. She felt herself blush for no reason. It was such an intimate situation, like a normal couple strolling through Central Park in the evening. In London she would have considered it absurd but there, that it was just the two of them, they seemed so right put together.  
But what would they do once they got back? Once in front of Harry, Ginny, Ron, their colleagues who knew them as bitter enemies. At that thought she bit her lip, and she pulled her arm out from under his. Draco noticed the movement with his brow furrowed but said nothing.  
«I… I would say to come back. » She said brusquely. «We've been out all day, and I'm exhausted. »  
The blonde just nodded before holding out his hand.  
Landing in front of the front door, Hermione silently opened it with a flick of her wand, and without speaking she headed for her room. Before disappearing behind her he saw her boyfriend scrutinizing her with frowning eyebrows, halfway between angry and confused.  
She bit her lip thoughtfully, trying to sort out her confused thoughts about her. Was it really worth getting away from him, and what they had built, whatever it was?  
She wasn't in London, she was there, with him. And maybe it wasn't a bad idea to enjoy the moment without thinking about the after.  
She took a quick shower and got into her pyjamas, crawling under the sheets, but unable to sleep. Was it possible that after a single night spent with him she missed him? She felt ridiculous. She felt even more ridiculous when she got up and slid quietly into his room. The light in the room was off but the roar of the water made her realize that he was in the bathroom. She slipped slowly under the sheets, immediately recognizing the boy's scent, and fearful of his reaction, she pulled them up to her chest.  
She was going to wait for him awake, so she tried to keep her eyes open. A tapping on the window startled her and she nearly screamed when she saw a large barn owl crouched on her windowsill.  
She got up to open it and took out the note he was carrying tied to his paw, after which it immediately flew away.

Still awake, dear Draco? Sorry for writing to you at this time but I couldn't hold back my enthusiasm. My dad just told me that he would like you to dinner tomorrow night, and I assured him I'd invite you myself.  
Let me know as soon as you can. A hug, Rose.

Irritated, she turned to the bathroom door, hearing the water stop. Why was she Rose writing to him? Why at that time? 

She waited with folded arms with the paper in hand until the bathroom door opened letting out a wet Malfoy covered only with a white towel, on the waist, rubbing his wet hair.  
The boy looked at her in amazement, making his eyes dart from the unmade bed to the note he was holding.  
«What happens? »  
«Apparently Miss Rose Harrinson saw fit to write to invite you to dinner tomorrow night. She also sends you a warm hug. » She made her upset.  
Draco took the blank note, and barely read it before setting it on fire with his wand.  
«That little girl is getting annoying over the edge. » He said bored.  
«Are you becoming her? Isn't this the first time she has written to you? And please cover yourself. »  
The boy unashamedly undid the towel, taking a pair of boxers from the chest of drawers.  
«No, she is not the first, quite the contrary. She writes to me every time Harrinson invites me. » He dressed calmly. «There's nothing you haven't seen Granger before. »  
«And have you ever thought of informing me of these letters? » She barked, still irritated though inevitably distracted by the boy who stood in front of her without clothes.  
«Are you jealous Granger? » He said amused.  
«Absolutely not. » She replied piqued. “I just don't want you to ruin the mission just to get that desperate little girl to bed that she drools for even just one glance from you. »  
«You drool huh? As much as you don't care, you've noticed a lot of details. »  
«Go fuck yourself Malfoy. » She mumbled, walking around him to go back to her room, but his arms held her back. She struggled, but the boy held her firmly, brushing her hair away from her neck and starting to place warm kisses on it.  
«Let me go. » She repeated again, but the boy of a completely different opinion of her passed his hands around her waist until they rest on her stomach, rising with his thumbs to tease the lower part of her breast.  
«I don't give a damn about Rose Harrinson Granger. On the contrary, I would be very interested in taking off this ridiculous pyjamas. »  
«She cares about you. » She blew when the boy cupped his hands on her breasts, feeling her legs a little unstable.  
«Almost when Benjamin cares about you, and yet I don't think you give him too much importance. Why should I give her some? »  
«Benjamin doesn't write to me at one in the morning. » She pointed out.  
The boy spun her around until he looked into her eyes. «As unbearable as you are, I prefer you a thousand times over that mindless girl. » He told her before kissing her.  
Hermione blushed before breaking away.  
The boy looked at her annoyed. «Granger, please ... » but he was speechless when the girl took off her pajama top, leaving nothing under her.  
«Well? Didn't you want me to take off these ridiculous pyjamas? » She said slowly, backing up to her bed.  
The boy grinned at her before lunging forward and taking her in his arms, ripping out a scream as he pinched her side.  
«Damn witch. » He told her before making her collapse on the mattress, following her immediately.  
Hermione smiled before kissing his back, she totally forgets about Rose Harrinson.

«What should I do with this garment? » The boy absently scratched his ear while the man handed him a package.  
«It has to arrive in Ohio by tomorrow morning Trevor. » He said coldly.He handed him a note with the address and he whistled.  
«Big shot this guy. »  
«It's not up to you to get opinions. And this time be careful. You've messed up enough already. »  
«It wasn't my fault boss, it just exploded and I almost lost a hand and ...»  
«Too little to lose your hand. Make another mistake like that and you're out. » He did the other coldly.  
«I… I won't do it, boss. Trust me. » The boy said nervously before retreating quickly.  
The man watched him disappear on a motorcycle that he had had better days before he pulled out his phone.  
«John? He's gone now. Yes, confirmed. » He said on the phone. He closed after a few seconds, looking around satisfied. It was all going well.


End file.
